Leslie Cochran
Encyclopedia
Leslie Cochran is an American peace activist, cross-dresser
, street person
and local celebrity in Austin, Texas
. He is a critic of police treatment of the homeless
.
, but never graduated. He lived in the Pacific Northwest and at one time worked as a truck driver
frequently traveling up and down the West coast. Cochran has told the Austin American-Statesman
that he was briefly married in 1985 and 1986. He spent nine months in the Naval Reserve
in 1974 and 1975, worked for Safeway
grocery store
s in Seattle, skinned road-kill in Colorado
and tanned the hides, worked as a disc jockey
near Steamboat Springs, Colorado
, lived in a converted bookmobile in Shreveport, Louisiana
, Tampa, Florida
, and Atlanta, and then took a year to ride a three-wheeled bicycle to Austin in January 1996.
during business hours. He is most frequently seen wearing women's clothing; his most popular attire is a leopard thong
and high-heeled shoe
s. Leslie prefers to be known as a man.
Around 1:00 a.m. on the Saturday morning of October 3, 2009, Leslie Cochran was found outdoors in a vegetative state and was transported to University Medical Center Brackenridge in critical condition. Within two weeks he had regained consciousness and was transferred to a rehabilitation center. When he was released, on October 23, 2009, Cochran reported that he had been attacked after commenting to a group of people about the dangers of drug abuse.
Cochran has run for Mayor of Austin three times, most recently in 2003. Cochran is featured prominently in the 2010 book, Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas
. In the book, the author interviews Leslie at Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse where they discuss such topics as Austin's rapid growth, commercialization, and the "Keep Austin Weird
" campaign.
Transvestism
Transvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
, street person
Street people
Street people are people who live a public life on the streets of a city. Street people are frequently homeless, sometimes mentally ill, and often have a bohemian lifestyle...
and local celebrity in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. He is a critic of police treatment of the homeless
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
.
Early life
Leslie Cochran was born and raised in Miami. He is the third of six children (3 boys and 3 girls). He was born "Albert Leslie Cochran," to Albert and Enid Atwater Cochran, both now deceased. Leslie attended Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, but never graduated. He lived in the Pacific Northwest and at one time worked as a truck driver
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
frequently traveling up and down the West coast. Cochran has told the Austin American-Statesman
Austin American-Statesman
The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is an award-winning publication owned by Cox Enterprises. The Newspaper places focus on issues affecting Austin and the Central Texas region....
that he was briefly married in 1985 and 1986. He spent nine months in the Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
in 1974 and 1975, worked for Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
s in Seattle, skinned road-kill in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
and tanned the hides, worked as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
near Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
, lived in a converted bookmobile in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, and Atlanta, and then took a year to ride a three-wheeled bicycle to Austin in January 1996.
As an Austin fixture
Cochran loiters near 6th Street, usually around 6th and CongressCongress Avenue
Congress Avenue is a major thoroughfare in Austin, Texas. The street is a six-lane, tree lined avenue that cuts through the middle of the city from far south Austin and goes over Lady Bird Lake leading to the Texas State Capitol in the heart of downtown....
during business hours. He is most frequently seen wearing women's clothing; his most popular attire is a leopard thong
G-string
A G-string is a type of thong underwear or swimsuit, a narrow piece of cloth, leather, or plastic, that covers or holds the genitals, passes between the buttocks, and is attached to a band around the hips, worn as swimwear or underwear by women and men...
and high-heeled shoe
High-heeled shoe
High-heeled footwear is footwear that raises the heel of the wearer's foot significantly higher than the toes. When both the heel and the toes are raised equal amounts, as in a platform shoe, it is technically not considered to be a high heel; however, there are also high-heeled platform shoes...
s. Leslie prefers to be known as a man.
Around 1:00 a.m. on the Saturday morning of October 3, 2009, Leslie Cochran was found outdoors in a vegetative state and was transported to University Medical Center Brackenridge in critical condition. Within two weeks he had regained consciousness and was transferred to a rehabilitation center. When he was released, on October 23, 2009, Cochran reported that he had been attacked after commenting to a group of people about the dangers of drug abuse.
Cochran has run for Mayor of Austin three times, most recently in 2003. Cochran is featured prominently in the 2010 book, Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas
Weird City
Weird City: Sense of Place and Creative Resistance in Austin, Texas is a non-fiction scholarly text by Joshua Long published in 2010 by University of Texas Press. The book uses the "Keep Austin Weird" movement as a central focus to discuss the social, cultural and economic changes occurring in...
. In the book, the author interviews Leslie at Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse where they discuss such topics as Austin's rapid growth, commercialization, and the "Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. The phrase has long been believed to have been coined in 2000 by Red Wassenich, who says he made the comment after giving a pledge to an Austin radio station...
" campaign.